Osi Umenyiora: Strong chance I’ll be in a wheelchair when I’m 45

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 8, 2012, 11:20 AM EDT

AP

Osi Umenyiora is the latest NFL player to wade into the debate about the safety of football and whether parents should allow their children to play it. And Umenyiora feels the same ambivalence that so many players feel: He loves the game and will continue playing it, even as he wonders if it will leave him disabled for most of his post-retirement life.

Responding to Kurt Warner’s contradictory comments about whether or not he’d want his sons to play football, and the subsequent criticism of Warner from other former NFL players, and then the subsequent criticism of Warner’s critics from still other former players, Umenyiora wrote on Twitter that he’s with Warner in terms of concern about his own children playing football. And Umenyiora also has concerns about his own future health. But Umenyiora isn’t about to quit.

“Kurt Warner is Right to think how he is thinking about his kids and football,” Umenyiora wrote. “Its an awesome game and has done a lot for me, but i know when im 45 there is a strong chance il be in a wheelchair. If i can avoid that for my son, i will. But if he wants to play i wont stop him.”

It would be interesting to know how many of the 1,500 or so former players currently suing the NFL would have said the same thing during their playing days. Most NFL players are content to accept the possibility of serious injury so that they can play an awesome game.

umm it’s pretty simple, the NFL gives it’s players a chance to provide for their family in ways they otherwise could never imagine. it’s the way of the world. no different than a broke college student doing product testing, just on a larger scale. sometimes you eat a brownie and collect $100. sometimes you end up with hives and $100. either way, they got the $100 they needed.

yes Osi your life is so hard, the millions and millions of dollars to play a game, that most of us that God didn’t bless with amazing talent, would still play for FREE if it weren’t for issues of having to clock in 40 hrs a week to make a 1/3 of your one weeks game check.

I am nearly 40 and play soccer. I have two ACL replacement surgeries and will likely pay for it when I am older. I play because I love the game. OSI plays because he gets a huge paycheck. Stop whinning you little girl! If you don’t like it you can always quit. No one is making you play!

Come on Osi that’s a bit extreme isn’t it??? A flair for the dramatics as well must be that NY living…btw driving and wrecking a car or numerous other things which are dangerous could put you in a wheelchair by 45 i.e. Roy Campanella…because my now job requires i sit at a desk is risky as well not enough excercise, arse getting fat, joints getting stiff, eyes going bad from staring at a computer all day…this on top of all the other damage my body has taken from sports and years in the military…so to all you NFL dudes get real you’ve been catered to and paid well since you learned you had a talent now you want the world listen as you whine whoa unto me…

I was a volunteer fireman and I risked my health and life on a daily basis for free. Every time I got on that truck I knew the risks I was taking and accepted those, so I’m having a hard time feeling sorry for guys who are making millions of dollars while taking far fewer risks than I was.

I can’t stand Osi, but he isn’t wrong. There are those jobs out there that set you up well for the rest of your life, but at a major cost to your physical (sometimes mental) health. Depending on what drives you to stay in those professions doesn’t matter, its about if you’re willing to accept that sacrifice. Not wanting your kids to have to make those same sacrifices is the job of a parent.

please shut up steelers. you will absolutely NOT win the lombardi trophy this year or next year or even the year after that…and by that time Big daddy rape’$$$ career will b over and wallace will b long gone

Osi, than quit the game and save your body. Not like you havn’t made millions upon millions. Or can’t you control your spending? You are giving up your elder years to live like a rock star. Suck it up and play without whining or quit and enjoy life.

Proof right there that players know the risk AND assume the risk when playing this violent sport. So why again are all of these players trying to sue the league over concussions and disabilities? Oh yeah… they wanted to make millions to play an “awesome” game.

rezdawg says:
May 8, 2012 11:23 AM
Hoge and Toomer tried to be tough guys by calling out Warner…lets see if they have what it takes to call out Osi too.

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what makes you think Osi is tougher than Kurt Warner, he constantly gets handled by running backs. 80% of his reputation was garnered on 1 game against a rookie O.L. playing out of position. he talks about being in a wheelchair, the man has bad knees, most people that played high school sports and they didn’t have to be contact sports have bad knees. the man is a loud mouth PHONY.

I am nearly 40 and play soccer. I have two ACL replacement surgeries and will likely pay for it when I am older. I play because I love the game. OSI plays because he gets a huge paycheck. Stop whinning you little girl! If you don’t like it you can always quit. No one is making you play!

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Oh that’s rich. Some 9-5 weekend “futbol” warrior (trying to maintain straight face) is calling a 2x SB CHAMPION PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL player a little girl. And 9/10 of you hacks give him a thumbs up? Pathetically hilarious.

What these guys need is a real job with real problems living paycheck to paycheck as some do, they seem to feel they are being forced to earn millions to play a game which may cause problems down the road…well guys look no further than your police, fireman, military for starters but also the garbage guys, construction workers etc., these jobs are far more dangerous than playing a game of football and get paid nothing close to what you make…

I want to hear from some of the old players that are still bad ass like Carl Eller. Carl Eller got tasered 4 times by the cops as an old man a year or 2 ago and still kicked their asses. I bet he doesnt complain about his playing days. Modern society is getting real soft, real fast.

minnesotablizzard says:
May 8, 2012 11:55 AM
I want to hear from some of the old players that are still bad ass like Carl Eller. Carl Eller got tasered 4 times by the cops as an old man a year or 2 ago and still kicked their asses. I bet he doesnt complain about his playing days. Modern society is getting real soft, real fast.

If he is that concerned about his health why is seaking a contract extension? Just play out this last year of his current contract and get a job in the broadcast both or something. Why put your body through 4-5 more years of pain and surgeries if you fear you will be in a wheelchair.

Stop talking out of both sides of your mouth all the time.

More players should do like Robert Smith. Invest their money wisely and walk away from the game at an early age with a healthy body.

I’m sorry but this is ridiculous. If these players are so worried about getting hurt and not walking when they are 45 then stop playing! This is getting out of hand with all these players who are on this concussion lawsuit as well, because the league “did not inform them that when you run into people a full speed over and over again that it could cause serious longterm damage.” It almost seems like they already have the brain damage if they didnt know that going into it. Either quit or keep playing and get your millions and stop crying about it!

KodaknRocky
Let me tell you what it looks like when you abuse your body, total bi-lateral knee replacement @54, both knees done at one time, triple by pass surgery plus three separate medical stents, double by-pass aneurysm surgery behind left knee at 54 , one good vertebrae in my spine and total degeneration of the spine at 60, lower lumbar L1 thru L5 totally inoperable , wrist and shoulder arthritis beyond explanation. Thirteen daily different medications and a total average of 20 pills/capsules per day. You get a third leg (cane) for short walks and a handicap cart for long distances, through Wal malt, Kroger and such. You fight with deep deep moments of depression because you can’t do the things you always did and supporting your family is a disgrace. Death seems an easy way out if you’re brave enough. You lose sight of hope, accomplishments and pride – that was then, this is now

It’s your choice to make, but remember this, our bodies DO NOT come with a life-time warranty. Between 17 and 40 it has miraculous self healing characteristics, 45 on it’s a rougher, tougher process and all that early damage begins to show up looking for payment. With interest – loss of short term memory, everything is now calculated thought out plans rather tan impulse decisions and and theres all out attempt to avoid further damage because the next hit could kill you. Period. You become a has been, you talk about the glory days “when”.

All the meds just take the edge off, you toss n turn all night, you go to bed hurting, you wake up hurting, you walk a mile in your sleep and are always exhausted and EVERYTHING seems to take three times the effort it once did. Even if you were one of the lucky ones that made millions, it’s still extremely painful, demoralizing and its unbelievable how cruel time can be. Know the facts, the truth, the consequences and make informed decisions. Period

I had a daughter that got her Bachelors Degree and NEVER played the game. Thank God. She did deliver two identical twin sons and that was ENOUGH for her. LOL. “Glory days, they’ll pass you by in the wink of a youg girls, glory day”. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.

I am nearly 40 and play soccer. I have two ACL replacement surgeries and will likely pay for it when I am older. I play because I love the game. OSI plays because he gets a huge paycheck. Stop whinning you little girl!
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PS. Theres not a bone or a muscle in you body that don’t hurt and the cost of insurance is. Totally ridiculous and then theres always your co-pays and deductible. Knowing one last thing, the older you get, the propensity there is of making big money. Slam now, pay later. Promise.

You know what will shut all these whinning players up? A nice tour of duty in Afghanistan. Once they see what REAL adversity and hardship is like they’ll go back to their jobs of playing the same game middle schoolers play for fun and like it.

They all want the fortune & fame… now it sure seems a lot of athletes are acting like they are cows going to a slaughterhouse & want us to feel sorry for them when 50% of them are going to make more in a few years of play than most of us will make in a lifetime… and there are 100,000’s of ex-athletes who are going to face a lot of the same dementia & arthritis without the comfort of being an NFL player. They haven’t been paid a dime for their pain.

Let’s not forget they get a boatload of money for playing a game that we love to play as kids. I played for years for nothing and got the hell beat out of me but I still played and suffered lifetime injuries just from High School and College, but I never got paid and I would still play the game. I guess there are players who love the game and play it because they love it and don’t care about the injury and then there are those who make the money and whine and cry about every hit they ever recieved. Maybe if at draft time we could single out the crybabies, the NFL would definitely be better. I don’t know maybe at the combine they can have the $50,000 shuttle run and see who is faster chasing the money. They are then disqualified LOL

How bout we do away with the nfl all together… Make college the highest level.. Play for free.. Get a degree and then go out and make $50,000 a year… If your lucky… Hmmmm sounds good! And we can outlaw everything else fun while we’re at it..

Of course he’s concerned….only a FOOL would not be….it takes courage to say what he is saying and it takes courage to play the game knowing the risks involved…..Hmmmmm……courage…something most posters on here know nothing very little about….

XINILLILM. — I agree 100%. Been there done that, for free as well and would do it asain. Have a lot of good memories and pay for everyone of them. Woulda been nice to get 12 mil for just one year. I’d still be living off of it 40 plus years later with a big ole smile on MY face!

It’s called a gift and a curse ! same happens With actors,musicians once they become famous they all lose someone close to them ,when you sign your soul over for big money then you should know what you’re getting into .

aka he wants to be the next guy to sue the NFL and make money off of this current safety BS. Why isn’t the players from 1940’s to the 1970’s out there hiring their lawyers? They have too much respect to blame it on football, that’s why.

It seems those that try to save ourselves from danger will do their best to vilify the sport as they have done with dodge ball in schools as being too dangerous but since there are billions at stack it won’t happen with the NFL. The danger will come from those that control our sports at a young age. Those that want a nanny state will point to soccer as a sport with minimal contact and low cost uniforms as an alternative.

Teach your kids to play baseball, they will get to play both offense and defense, then if they make it they can play every day not just Sundays. Also, they won’t have to worry about ever being in a wheelchair!

These self absorbed players and their blood sucking lawyers make me sick. I can think of 30 occupations that are more dangerous than NFL players and have the statistics to back it up. The only difference is firemen, coal miners, public works employees, cops, soldiers, tree cutters, correctional officers, steel workers, construction crews, brick layers etc etc dont whine about it constantly.

Do the majority of PFT’s readers have issues with reading comprehension? The man is talking about protecting the health of his son, he’s not talking about himself. He fully states the game is awesome and has been good to him, but he is speaking strictly about the health of his child. Did you all also notice that he said he wouldn’t stop his children from playing if they wanted to? Kurt Warner also said the same exact thing.

Coal miners literally risk their lives every day and get paid a fraction of what nfl players do. NO sympathy here, osi is finishing up a contract that paid him over 40 million over the past 7 yrs, he should have plenty of money and should retire now and save everybody the trouble.

Yeah, because Steelers let the Rooneys use them up and spit them out with out complaining or worrying about their future. They accept their fate of being homeless (Mike Webster), killing themselves (Justin Strylzik, Terry Long) or heart problems (numerous Steelers from the Steel Curtain era that used steroids).

With all of Troy’s concussions, it’s looking like he’s next in line to join that list.

The guy’s 100% right to worry. Anyone arguing differently is just reacting to having to hear him say ANYTHING which is one word too many for him. I would say however that he’s handled it like 99% of the people on this board would: if you worked at a job that you almost knew would kill you young but would make you rich you wouldn’t stop your kids from trying it but you’d warn them. No doubt in my mind about that.
BTW the hoveround comment is hilarious.

Can’t wait in 2024 for Monday Night Checkers once they dissolve the NFL.This is ridiculous,these men are not stolen by gypsies at birth and forced to play football until they are crippled or dead.They chose to play they chose this line of work.Go tell a coal miner or a cop about the dangers of your job Osi!

nyjad says:
May 8, 2012 1:33 PM
Coal miners literally risk their lives every day and get paid a fraction of what nfl players do. NO sympathy here, osi is finishing up a contract that paid him over 40 million over the past 7 yrs, he should have plenty of money and should retire now and save everybody the trouble.

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Thank you,my wife’s father and grandfather both worked in coal mines and eventually developed lung cancer.Osi has no sympathy here either.

So don’t play. It’s that simple. These players act as if though they don’t have a choice in the matter. It’s starting to really get annoying. If your that concerned about it, then don’t play anymore. These players make more money over the course of one contract than most of us will in our lives. And now they want even more. There are plenty of occupations out there that are hell on your body and people struggle to get out of bed every day to go work them. He’s lucky he doesn’t have to work till he’s 60 years old like the rest if us.

For all of you people saying he doesn’t have a right to complain because he makes a lot of money I assume you never complain at your job right? Oh but you don’t make as much as he does? Well the fact that you are posting to an internet website about football means you are most likely a middle class or above American. Middle class Americans probably make more than 95% of all of the people on the globe. So stop bringing up how much money he makes because it makes you look petty and jealous and has no bearing on the validity of his arguement.

I am sick of these football players all coming foreword now with all their physical ailments these men choose to play they were not forced to play football. these men are well payed 90% of them are lifetime million air’s. after playing 7 to 10.year’s. and Osi will be in a wheel chair with about 25 to 30 million dollars in the bank.I am just tired of these selfish athletes and there ME ME ME atitudes

Good job Osi! You whine about wanting a long term deal then spout off about being in a wheelchair at 45. Don’t you think that might make the Giants and the league a tad nervous that you will turn around and file some sort of dumb lawsuit?

Science has unequivocally proved that football concussions lead to numerous illnesses. We already know scientifically that playing the game leads to Alzheimer’s, mental illness and suicide.

Who plays this game? Violent brute bullies who don’t know any better, who couldn’t do anything else in life, trained and programmed to make themselves insane with never-ending hits to the head. These players are victims of a brutish culture led by the American people who want to see brutal hits and injuries every Sunday.

Notice that 75% of the players in the NFL are African-American, 75% of the concussions are being suffered by African-Americans; 75% of Alzheimer’s, dementia, dizziness, forgetfulness, suicides, heart attacks, early deaths are African-Americans.

How long are we going to put up with the sacrifice of African-American males for a bloodthirsty American audience?

How long are we willingly going to submit African-American males to maiming, concussions, early death, and perhaps suicide? For what? The blood lust of the American population?

Everyone should read Mike Freeman’s piece today on CBS Sports about study of NFL players. It was a study of 3,439 former players from 1959 – 1988 and of players who played at least 5 NFL seasons. Conducted by NIOSH which is a part of the Centers for Disease and Control. In general, NFL players live longer than general population.

That is the dumbest thing I’ve read today, which is saying quite a lot because I’m following the Vikings stadium situation. I’m pretty sure all football players play the game on a voluntary basis. They are not being “submitted” to maiming, concussions, or early death. Apparently you believe that African-Americans are unable to make their own choices, which makes you the racist.

Folks, it is about freedom to do what you want with YOUR LIFE. Quit relying on government officials, lawyers, insurance people to tell you how you MUST Live.

It is a choice. Because of this stupid thinking (one reason I love visiting many foreign countries that use common sense), our kids have no diving boards at any places, trampolines are taken away from homes, any risks taken away to CLEAN and SANITIZE our lives.

That ain’t life folks. It is your choice to do what you want to do. If you walk around at 55 seeing bats flying around, it was your choice. Nobody wants to talk about all the great things football provides.

Bottom line, ya wanna play ball, play. If you end up like Daryl Stingly, it was your choice. You end up like any player, it was your choice. The money is huge and it is your call. There should not be one stupid lawsuit as everyone knows the risk. People have been getting concussed, injured, and paralyzed for many years. It is common sense knowledge.

I mean, who makes the call that it is worth it to get concussions or not? Who is the judge and jury? If I want to play and assume the risk, it is MY business, not a stupid politician. Not a lawyer.

Live your life the way you choose. For those who want to whine about it, they should quit or not ever play. Go be an accountant. Go be an engineer. Go sell hotdogs. Whatever. You don’t have to play football. Nobody forces you in this country (yet).

@steelfann says: Bottom line, ya wanna play ball, play. If you end up like Daryl Stingley, it was your choice.

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How Darryl Stingley ended up was Jack-the scumbag Tatum’s – choice. What a degenerate- you cannot profer the idea that Darryl Stingley had a choice about Tatum’s absurdly illegal head-hunting playing style.